Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 198 Relief, Successive Foundation Establishment, Buying Goods, Red Lotus Warns (10k)

"Ling'er, it is best to have a clear mind and no distractions when you attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. If you still have even the slightest knot in your heart, you may develop inner demons during the breakthrough."

Xu Chuan looked at Xu Deling and said.

"Grandfather, are you referring to my affair with Wu Shunan?" Xu Deling said calmly, "I have long since let it go."

"Let go? Is that really the case? You can fool your grandfather, but you can't fool your own heart."

"Ling'er is certain that she has let him go," Xu Deling said firmly.

"Have you ever considered why he didn't choose you? Was it really just because of the Wu family?"

Xu Deling's body trembled slightly, and then he said, "This has nothing to do with me. My granddaughter gave him a chance back then, and he has already made his choice."

What if this choice was made for you?

"for me?"

Xu Deling looked up at Xu Chuan, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"As expected, my guess was right. You still have a knot in your heart, it's just hidden deep inside."

"If this knot in your heart is not removed, your chances of achieving Foundation Establishment this time will probably decrease by a few points."

"Grandfather, it's me."

"The so-called three realms of cultivating the mind are: seeing a mountain as a mountain, seeing a mountain as not a mountain, and seeing a mountain as a mountain again. You only see Wu Shunan rejecting you, which is his choice not to choose you, not true relief."

"Grandpa, how did you know? Did you ask Wu Shunan?"

"No, when you broke up, I used my divine sense to investigate. He was distraught after you left, as if a piece of his heart was empty."

"he"

Upon hearing this, Xu Deling's heart was stirred.

"Why is this happening?" Xu Deling couldn't help but ask.

"Because you are the pride of the Xu family, destined to embark on the path of immortality, and may even go very far, while he is just a wild grass in the mortal world."

Your staying for him is his good fortune.

Once he understood everything, he had to let go, even if it was reluctant, and would no longer be an obstacle to you.

Wu Shunan only wishes for your smooth journey to immortality!

Xu Deling's mind was in turmoil, and he did not seem to be in a state of mind at all when he was about to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Xu Chuan did not intend to disturb her. He had experienced his own mental obstacles and knew that this was both a tribulation and a destiny.

Perhaps, Xu Deling will succeed in this attempt as well.

But it would only benefit her to fully understand the reasons behind it all.

Xu Deling remained silent.

"Go see him one more time, and you'll know what it truly means to be at peace."

"Yes, grandfather."

Xu Deling felt an urge to go and ask him directly for clarification.

She left Xu Chuan's quiet room and flew down the mountain.

Xu Chuan silently prayed, "Wu Shunan, please lend Ling'er another helping hand."

Previously, Xu Deling had simply frozen her heart.

He appears to have a pure and untainted heart.

But that's not true letting go.

Xu Deling flew over the Wu family mansion and swept her divine sense across it. The voices, faces, and smiles of everyone in the entire mansion were imprinted in her mind.

Seeing Wu Shunan and his wife playing with the child, her heart ached for no reason.

She was even a little afraid to face it.

But then she remembered what Xu Chuan had said before, and decided to see him one last time to put an end to it.

Xu Deling paused in the air for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally landing in front of Wu Shunan and his wife.

The moment Wu Shunan looked up, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he froze on the spot.

Madam Li exclaimed in surprise, "Fairy Ling, why have you come all of a sudden?"

She knew that Xu Deling had a close relationship with the Wu family and was a disciple of her grandfather, Wu Mingsheng.

"Are you here to see your grandfather? He's not home."

Wu Shunan came to his senses and said, "De Ling is looking for her grandfather, so why would she come to our house? She must be here as a guest. Please come in."

Xu Deling walked up to Wu Shunan's son and asked, "What's this child's name?"

Madam Li said, "Wu Xi Ling is the name of my husband. I hope he can rise with the wind and soar straight to the sky."

"This is our eldest son, and there's a younger one inside, being taken care of by the wet nurse."

"Why are you saying so much? Go inside and bring out the tea."

"I understand, husband."

Wu Shunan smiled and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Deling."

"Auntie, you can fly, are you a fairy from the mountain?"

Wu Xiling tilted his head back, his eyes filled with excitement.

Xu Deling squatted down and patted his head, then smiled and said, "Auntie is not an immortal, but a cultivator."

"Auntie, you are so beautiful, even more beautiful than my mother, like a real fairy."

"Little mouth is so sweet."

As they talked, Xu Deling's heart calmed down.

She didn't ask Wu Shunan a single question, but the name Wu Xiling said it all.

"Does Wu Shunan like Xu Deling?"

"Soaring with the wind, reaching straight to the clouds, is that also an expectation for me?"

The ice in Xu Deling's heart gradually melted away, as if it had been absorbed into her.

Even cultivators are human; they still experience emotional setbacks and may want to escape.

At that moment, she felt relieved.

There's a kind of affection that comes from watching from afar, wishing her all the best.

All she could do was respect his choice, let it go, and stop bothering him.

We once possessed each other, but ultimately we parted ways and disappeared from each other's lives.

A sudden enlightenment in the mundane world.

At this moment, Xu Deling's mind was clear and enlightened.

"I have to go now."

"Is Fairy Ling not here for the gathering?" Madam Li asked.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Deling, you can go by yourself,” Wu Shunan said.

Xu Deling smiled broadly.

This smile reminded Wu Shunan of the smile on Xu Deling's face when they first met.

Xu Deling ascended into the sky on his sword.

Wu Xiling waved and said, "Goodbye, Aunt Deling. Take me flying again next time!"

"Thank you, Brother Shun'an. Take care."

Xu Deling's voice rang in Wu Shunan's mind, and he was stunned.

But before he could say anything, Xu Deling had already disappeared into the horizon.

All that remained was a silent whisper in my heart: Ling'er, take care.

Alchemy Hall, Xu Chuan's Quiet Room.

"You're back." Xu Chuan smiled faintly when he saw her calm expression. "It seems you succeeded."

"Cultivators are essentially the same as mortals, but they are often more persistent because they can do more than mortals."

"It's easy to put it down verbally, but it's hard to put it down in your heart."

Xu Deling clasped his hands together in front of his chest and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Grandfather, which have helped me understand my true nature and have made my heart clear from this day forward."

"Go, it's time to attempt Foundation Establishment."

"Yes, grandfather."

Xu Chuan had already explained all the details of the Foundation Establishment process to Xu Deling.

There were also pills made from thousand-year-old spiritual herbs prepared for her.

Xu Deling looked at Xu Chuan and said again, "Grandfather, I will definitely achieve Foundation Establishment and return."

After saying this, he went to the medicinal herb garden in the county town to cultivate in seclusion.

Xu Chuan watched it disappear into the distance, muttering to himself, "The medicinal garden in the county town is still too far away. It's time to find a way to improve the spiritual energy of our clan's land."

If that doesn't work, then the best course of action is to relocate the Xu family to the medicinal herb garden in the county town.

After a while.

Xu Chuan then sent a telepathic message to Xu Mingxian, asking her to come over.

"Father, what brings you here?"

"Mingxian, research how to extract spiritual energy from the Three Absolute Dragon Locking Formation to increase the spiritual energy concentration in the cave."

Xu Mingxian's eyes flickered, but she didn't say much. She simply nodded and said, "I understand."

A month and a half later.

Xu Deling successfully entered the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Her immortal foundation, similar to Xu Chuan's, is a crimson-gold cauldron.

After returning.

She went to see Xu Chuan first.

"You have not disappointed me," Xu Chuan said calmly.

"Thanks to my grandfather's guidance, I was able to understand my true nature before attempting this breakthrough; otherwise, I might have truly failed," Xu Deling said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"I will record your experience in overcoming the challenge another day so that future generations can refer to it and learn from it."

"Yes, Grandfather." Xu Deling nodded, and then said, "After returning from this Foundation Establishment, I feel that the spiritual energy in the cave is somewhat insufficient. There are no major problems in daily life, but it may be difficult to improve my cultivation."

“I understand. This matter is already being considered for a solution. As for the pills needed for our Foundation Establishment cultivation, I only have enough for six or seven years.”

Xu Deling was slightly surprised, "So many?"

"Second-tier pills are precious, and the price and rarity of the materials far exceed those of first-tier pills. Therefore, it is not possible to consume only high-grade pills like the Qi Refining stage."

“Ling’er has never thought that way.” Xu Deling’s lips twitched slightly.

They all took top-grade pills?!

This is a pill for daily cultivation, not something for breaking through bottlenecks, so there are limits on the number that can be taken.

Even the most prestigious families, or even royalty, would not be so extravagant.

"Just don't be picky," Xu Chuan said calmly.

What the hell do you mean by being picky!

Xu Deling was internally ranting and raving.

This is like a top-tier magic weapon; regardless of whether it matches one's main cultivation attribute, any Foundation Establishment cultivator who encounters it will definitely try to acquire it.

"Take these pills for now, they'll be enough for you for more than half a year. You should continue to improve your weapon crafting skills, and temporarily conceal your cultivation level at the eighth level of Qi Refining."

"Ling'er understands." Xu Deling put all the porcelain bottles that Xu Chuan had given her into her storage bag, then clasped her hands and said, "Then Ling'er will go and visit Father and Second Uncle first."

"Go."

Only a handful of people in the Xu family knew about Xu Deling's breakthrough.

Xu Mingxuan found the county town inconvenient, so after Xu Mingxian developed the Five Elements Condensation Array, he had him make an array plate that could be used at any time.

Xu Chuan also prepared a lot of Five Elements Condensation Pills, all of which were of high quality, enough for him to use for one or two years of cultivation.

Of course, there are low-grade and medium-grade products when refining, but the quantity is not large.

They were either used to feed spirit fish or spirit beasts.

This elixir balances the five elements, making it suitable for most living beings. It also has the effect of regulating the five elements within the body.

Another half month passed.

Xu Mingxian told Xu Chuan that he could draw spiritual energy from the Three Absolute Dragon Locking Formation at any time.

“Father, this action is equivalent to opening a crack in the Three Absolute Dragon Locking Formation, which will leak continuously thereafter.”

"If that's the case, will the dragon trapped in the formation be able to escape?"

"Not at present. If that dragon still has the strength of the Golden Core stage, the formation seal should be able to maintain itself for another fifty or sixty years. If it only has the strength of the Foundation Establishment stage, then it can last for two or three hundred years without any problem."

"With this gap, it will only take five or six years to reach the spiritual energy level of the underground stone chamber of the medicine garden, and surpassing the Zhou family in one or two decades should not be a problem."

"Can it be repaired?"

Xu Mingxian nodded, "It is possible, but it will not be as good as before. However, if we estimate based on the strength of the Golden Core stage, it should be able to last for more than a hundred years."

"That's enough, then let's prepare to make our move."

Xu Mingxian nodded.

The two went to Bihan Pool.

The array authority of Bihan Pool is extremely high.

Currently, only Xu Mingxian, the head of the Xu family, and Xu Chuan can pass through directly.

This time, in addition to increasing the concentration of spiritual energy in the clan's territory, Xu Chuan also wanted to talk to that third-tier dragon again.

If it could be used by the Xu family, that would be the best outcome.

Xu Mingxian entered Bihan Pool and spent several days finally completing the arrangements she had previously made.

Strands of pure spiritual energy continuously leaked from the grand formation, entering the earth's veins, permeating the air, and enhancing the spiritual essence of the Xu family's territory.

If the clan's land is rich in spiritual energy, then over time, the number of descendants of ordinary residents of Dongxi who will be born with the potential to cultivate immortality will also increase.

The Three Absolute Dragon-Locking Formation has once again developed a flaw, and it's permanent.

This change was naturally noticed by the third-tier dragon.

A wisp of divine consciousness instantly pierced through the crack and reached the outside.

He was extremely annoyed that his conversation with Xu Chuan had been cut off halfway through.

"Hmm? An array or restriction that isolates divine sense? How long have I been asleep?"

The voice of the third-tier dragon rang out above the Azure Cold Pool. This time, it did not communicate with divine sense, but spoke directly.

This was the first time Xu Mingxian had ever heard the voice of a third-tier dragon.

Deep and authoritative.

He came to Xu Chuan's side and stood quietly to one side.

"Unable to break through the Azure Cold Pool's restrictions? It seems that the divine sense split off by this dragon is only comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage. That's good, it saves him from constantly spying on my Xu family."

"Eh, young human, you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage? Why do you look even younger than when I last saw you?"

"A trivial skill, not worth mentioning. But senior, how well have you been sleeping these past ten years?"

The dragon remained silent, slightly displeased.

A human junior with seemingly mediocre talent actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage in just over a decade.

He also knew that true geniuses of the human race could usually achieve Foundation Establishment in their twenties, while Xu Chuan was already over fifty when he last saw him.

Xu Chuan smiled faintly and said again, "Now that my son has torn open a crack in the great formation, this conversation will not be interrupted abruptly like last time."

"You're a promising young man with a talent for array formations. Keep up the good work and break more gaps in the array. I won't treat you badly when I get out," the third-tier dragon said arrogantly.

Xu Mingxian ignored him.

"Boy, you dare disobey me? Believe me, I'll wipe out your father and the entire Xu family when I get out!"

"Before that, I will completely seal you within the great formation until you die of old age!" Xu Mingxian's eyes flashed with a fierce light, his voice filled with killing intent.

"Damn brat!" The third-tier dragon seemed about to explode in fury.

At this moment, Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Senior, please don't be angry. My son is right. You should understand your situation. Your lifespan is running out. Without the help of our clan, there is no hope of escaping this predicament."

Upon hearing this, the third-tier dragon remained silent for a moment before asking, "Last time you and I discussed a mutually beneficial method. What exactly does 'mutual benefit' mean?"

“Our clan helped our ancestors escape their predicament, and our ancestors served our Xu family.”

"That's impossible! You, a mere human junior, can forget about ordering me around!"

"Senior is really naive. I thought you would agree and then find a way to counteract the spirit beast's restriction."

"How could I not have thought of that? In that case, then I shall..."

"Senior, aren't you afraid that my Xu family will find a spirit beast restriction that can completely suppress a third-tier flood dragon?"

"You lowly junior, are you trying to play me for a fool?!"

The third-tier dragon immediately realized what was happening.

"But this is the bottom line of my Xu family. If you can agree to this, we can discuss other conditions such as freedom. Otherwise, you should only have the strength of the second tier left, right?"
Decades later, my Xu family may reach the level of seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators, perhaps even able to hunt down you, senior.

"Senior, you know that it's quite normal for human cultivators to fight with demonic beasts, so you should understand why we're killing them."

I don't understand you at all!
After understanding this, are you really going to let me be surrounded and killed by you all?!

"You've produced seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators in decades? Do you consider yourselves a Golden Core clan?"

"If you don't believe me, senior, we can make a bet. If my Xu family has eight Foundation Establishment cultivators within fifty years, you will be willing to serve my Xu family."

"You cunning junior human, I will not believe you."

Xu Chuan didn't mind and said calmly, "Then senior, choose between being hunted to death or dying of old age."

He did not answer.

Xu Chuan looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. In a few months, we'll come to visit you again. Hopefully, you've already decided how you're going to die."

After saying this, he gestured for Xu Mingxian to leave Bihan Pool with him.

After a long period of impotent rage, the third-tier dragon retreated back into the great formation.

"Father, were you just playing a trick on that old dragon?" Xu Mingxian asked, his eyes filled with confusion.

"That's right. To subdue him, we must temper his temperament. Moreover, from his previous conversations, we can tell that he is indeed only at the second level of strength."

Decades later, with the resources and strength of my Xu family, even if he has a tough body, we should still have a chance to kill him.

"But is such an old dragon really valuable? It would be incredibly difficult to help it recover, wouldn't it?"

"Indeed, but you also have to admit that its value to us is highest when it is alive. If it dies, the dragon's saliva, dragon's blood, dragon's scales, etc., cannot be regenerated."

Most importantly, he might be the key to our Xu family's future advancement to a Golden Core cultivation family.

Xu Mingxian seemed to be deep in thought. Seeing this, Xu Chuan smiled and said, "There's no rush. Our Xu family should just do what we need to do now."

"Father's thoughtfulness is admirable."

This is merely a minor episode in the Xu family's current development.

Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingshu have reached the peak of Qi Refining, and their cultivation level can no longer be improved. Therefore, they can only practice magic and secret techniques, or teach the younger generation.

Those like Xu Mingyuan, Xu Mingshu, and Xu Mingxian, who possess magical skills, can devote more time to this.

Xu Chuan temporarily refined the Xu family's only top-tier magic weapon, the Xuanbing Cone.

As for other top-tier magical artifacts, one can either travel abroad and encounter the opportunity of a Foundation Establishment ancient cultivator's cave, or go to the imperial city to take a look.

At some large auctions, top-tier magical artifacts, and even talisman treasures, may appear.

Millennia-old medicinal herbs are commonplace.

Of course, another option is to ask top-tier weapon crafting masters who can forge top-grade magical artifacts to help.

But the cost is no less than competing with others at an auction.

Foundation Establishment cultivators without top-tier magic artifacts will inevitably be at a disadvantage if they fight against other cultivators of the same level.

Xu Deling didn't even have any high-quality magical artifacts.

Therefore, Xu Chuan did not intend to expose Xu Deling's existence at this time, but instead allowed him to continue studying the art of weapon crafting until he was able to refine a top-tier magic weapon.

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Derong married Ren Xiaoyao.

Not long after, Xu Deyun got married to Chen Daniu's son.

Xu Chuan had also heard that it seemed the two of them had fallen in love on their own.

Xu Mingxuan did not stop her and let her get married.

As for Xu Dejin, who is about the same age, she married into the Zhou family last year. She is Zhou Shaoyuan's grandson and has no talent for cultivating immortality.

The Zhou family naturally wanted many descendants with the aptitude for cultivation, so those with outstanding aptitude would usually marry women from other families who were also cultivators.

Of course, it doesn't matter if she's not the legal wife.

Since the Xu family was marrying off their daughter, they naturally couldn't let her become someone else's concubine. That's why they chose one of Zhou Shaoyuan's grandsons who didn't have the aptitude for cultivating immortality.

Soon.

Xu Dewen's third wife also gave birth to a baby boy, named Xu Chonglin.

The eldest son is Xu Chongyan, and the second son is Xu Chongshan.

He currently has three sons.

Moreover, both his first and second wives were pregnant, with only a month's difference in their pregnancies. His offspring were numerous, making him arguably the most outstanding member of the Xu family.

Xu Dezhao still has one son and one daughter. Xu Dejun later had another child, so they now have two sons, Xu Chonglei and Xu Chongguang.

The former is five years old, and the latter is two years old.

Xu Derui and Xu Deheng each have only one son, Xu Chongzhi and Xu Chonghao, who are both three years old.

Time flies, and nearly three years have passed.

Xu Derong and Ren Xiaoyao had a son, Xu Chongkai, who was exceptionally talented, with a spiritual root purity of 38%, second only to Xu Mingqing.

A few days later, Xu Chuan helped him transform his divine sense, allowing him to prepare for the Foundation Establishment process.

Not long after, Ren Xiaoyao returned to Longjiang County and moved the graves of his parents and grandfather to Dongxi.

After three months.

He successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage and became a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage.

With the addition of another Foundation Establishment cultivator, Xu Chuan's supply of True Essence Pills decreased once again.

Although I have collected some materials and refined some True Essence Pills in these three years, it should be enough for seven or eight years in total.

To maintain the pace of their cultivation progress, elixirs are indispensable.

Currently, the resources collected only in Yuehu County are insufficient to support Xu Chuan and his companions' long-term cultivation.

Ren Xiaoyao, under his instructions, had already gone out to seek opportunities, and only returned to Dongxi once every two or three months.

Although he did not possess a top-tier magical artifact, Xu Deling had made breakthroughs in his artifact crafting skills over the past three years, enabling him to refine exquisite pieces. He and Xu Mingxian worked together to create a magical artifact suitable for Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao was quite satisfied with his previous magic weapon set, "Tianyuan," as he cultivated the "Qinggang Sword Technique."

Therefore, Xu Deling and his team created the Five Spirit Box.

There are readily available methods for refining this, and it's much simpler.

Redesigning a new set of exquisite magical artifacts yourself would not be easy.

The Five Elements Box is extremely difficult to forge, containing one fine flying sword of each of the five elements, and the box itself is also a fine magical artifact.

The corresponding formation must also be inscribed so that the Five Elements Box can nurture the flying sword, establish a connection with the flying sword itself, and form a Five Elements Sword Formation through the formation.

However, controlling it and unleashing its full power depends on the user's own understanding.

Ren Xiaoyao himself was very satisfied with it.

Xu Chuan also passed on to him some spells from the "Five Elements Spiritual Techniques," such as the Condensing Yuan Technique, the Condensing Spirit Technique, and the Five Elements Shield.

After he grasped the concept, his strength increased significantly.

In particular, the mental attack technique attached to the Concentration Technique, combined with powerful mental energy, can definitely give one an advantage in battles against Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Xu Chuan and Xu Deling both stayed in Dongxi.

A researcher and alchemist.

One should improve their cultivation method as soon as possible to the point where they can refine top-tier magical artifacts.

Zhang Wanqing has now taken charge of refining pills for cultivators in the Xu family, while Shen Qingyi is in charge of refining pills for martial artists.

Besides the two of them, there are three other alchemy apprentices who are learning alchemy from them.

Xu Chuan mainly refines the more difficult-to-refine first-tier and second-tier pills, and occasionally teaches alchemy.

They gradually began to give away ordinary elixirs.

Although this will lower the quality of the Xu family's pills, it is an inevitable process.

Fortunately, both of them now have a chance to refine high-grade pills.

It is higher than the alchemy level of 90% of Yuehu County.

The reform of the elixir system indirectly affected some of the business's interests, but the problem was not significant.

The main source of revenue for the merchant guild comes from low-grade and mid-grade pills.

The profits of other aristocratic families' alchemy shops are basically incomparable to those of the Xu family's business, even the Zhou family's.

If Zhang Wanqing and Shen Qingyi continue practicing alchemy, they will have no problem becoming alchemists of Zhou Sen's level in seven or eight years.

In addition, Xu Chuan also trained successors in alchemy.

That is, his youngest son, Xu Mingqing.

He was born with the bloodline of Yi Wood and possessed the destiny of Taiyi Qingling, giving him an extremely strong control over plants. He not only learned alchemy very quickly, but also had a high level of understanding of wood-based magic.

Now he has mastered the Yi Wood Azure Light Technique.

It can replace Xu Chuan in casting spells in the herb garden to promote the growth of the spiritual herbs.

Of course, he can only use it once, since he is only at the late stage of the fifth level of Qi Refining.

The fact that he was able to comprehend a first-grade high-level spell during the mid-stage of Qi Refining demonstrates that his comprehension and talent far surpass those of ordinary people.

The weapon refining hall, talisman hall, and formation hall also gained several more apprentices.

Wu Da, Lu Feng, and Luo Qianshan were naturally happy, since teaching apprentices in the Xu family could earn them generous family contribution points.

Those with good qualifications can receive additional superior resource rewards.

Over three years.

The Xu family also made transactions with the Ge family of Guangling, the Xiao family of Longjiang, and the Yun family of Yunshan, but these were mostly resources suitable for the Qi Refining stage.

This large transaction involved only top-grade pills, and in considerable quantities.

Therefore, only Xu Chuan could refine it himself.

The resources exchanged were quite substantial. For the Xu family, who now possessed a complete set of alchemy, artifacts, arrays, and talismans, these resources could be put to good use, generating profits more than ten times their original value.

However, the vast majority of these resources are suitable for those who cultivate Qi and seek immortality.

Not many are useful during the foundation-building stage.

The Xu family has already started specifically requesting certain spiritual herbs and spirit iron ore that are hundreds of years old.

As for talisman materials, Xu Mingyuan and his group are still at a low level and don't need high-end materials. Among the four arts, array formations have the lowest material requirements.

Its most important aspect is the understanding and depiction of formations.

Even when crafting array plates or other array artifacts, only ordinary materials are needed.

"Mingwei, I plan to make a trip to the capital soon."

Xu Mingwei was currently cultivating the "Nine Flames Technique" in the Battle Hall. Apart from this secret technique, he had already comprehended all the other techniques, such as the Concentration Technique and the Yuan Concentration Technique.

The same applies to most other members of the Xu family.

"Father, what brings you here?"

"The number of pills needed by the Xu family to build up their foundation is decreasing day by day. The resources in Yuehu County are not abundant to begin with, and the materials that can be traded are by no means plentiful."

The Ge family, after all, was merely a family specializing in Qi Refining techniques.

Xu Mingwei, naturally unaware of the remaining amount of pills in Xu Chuan's hand, exclaimed in surprise, "Has it already dwindled to this level?"

"Yes, it's only enough for seven or eight years."

Xu Mingwei fell silent.

Are there still seven or eight years' worth of elixirs left?

Based on the frequency with which the Xu family takes pills for daily cultivation, and considering that there are three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators among them, Xu Mingwei's lips twitched slightly, and he sighed helplessly: His father always has a strange sense of crisis.

Seven or eight years, the cultivation pills of three Foundation Establishment cultivators.

That's enough for one of them to break through several levels and reach the fourth level of Foundation Establishment.

Of the twenty-two prefectures of the Great Wei, the number of cultivators who have reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage is extremely limited.

"Then Father, please be careful on your journey."

"Yes, I will leave a jade tablet before I leave. Come and get it later. There is a trace of my divine consciousness inside. As long as you crush it, I will sense it, but it can only be used for important matters."

"I know, kid."

Xu Chuan made some preparations.

A short while later, Xu Mingwei arrived at the Alchemy Hall.

Half an hour later, Xu Chuan quietly left Dongxi and drove his superior-grade magic boat to the imperial city.

At this time, Xu Mingwei also notified Xu Dezhao and the others.

Xu Chuan's current Foundation Establishment stage magic power, combined with the high-grade magic boat, makes his journey to and from the imperial city much faster than before.

They arrived at the capital in about a day and a half.

Southern District of the Imperial City.

Dan Hall.

The name of Master San Shu has not appeared in the capital for a long time, and has now been almost forgotten by various aristocratic families.

Only the Lei family and the Dan Palace knew about it.

"you are?"

Upon seeing someone directly pass through the restrictions of the Pill Hall and enter, Deacon Chen stepped forward and asked curiously, "Which apprentice are you? Why have I never seen you before?"

Xu Chuan now looks to be in his twenties, and since he hasn't been to the Pill Hall for a long time, Deacon Chen didn't recognize him at first.

Xu Chuan looked at Deacon Chen and smiled faintly, "It's been many years since we last met. Deacon Chen has now reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. Congratulations!"

"Who exactly are you?" Deacon Chen was slightly surprised, his brows furrowing as he thought to himself, "I must have seen this person before."

He was so young in the imperial city, yet his cultivation had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, but he looked completely ordinary.
Does such a person exist?

Xu Chuan smiled, flicked his sleeve, and a token of the Pill Hall flew out and hovered in front of Deacon Chen.

The token has the character "丹" engraved on one side and "十三" on the other.

"Thirteen offerings?!"

Deacon Chen's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing"

"It's just a little trick to make myself look younger."

"Greetings, Thirteenth Venerable One." Deacon Chen immediately bowed in greeting.

Although their cultivation levels were similar, Xu Chuan was a retainer of the Pill Hall, whose status was far above his.

"Is Fellow Daoist Yunding still there?"

"He is here, but he recently heard that he failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and he is in a bad mood, so he is not in the hall at the moment."

"Where is the chief?"

"The chief instructor happens to be giving a lecture today. Thirteenth Master can go over there and take a look; it shouldn't be over yet."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you."

"You're too kind, Thirteenth Master."

As soon as Xu Chuan left, an alchemy apprentice came over to ask, "Steward Chen, how come I've never seen those thirteen elders in the Pill Hall before?"

Deacon Chen glanced at him and said, "He is a legendary figure in our Pill Hall, but he is basically not in the Pill Hall now. Alright, you all go about your business."

"Yes, Deacon Chen."

Several alchemy apprentices bowed and left.

Then he muttered to himself, "Could it be that these thirteen elders are here again, trying to take advantage of me and get my Pill Hall to help collect materials and resources?"

Xu Chuan arrived at the classroom.

This is public.

So he went straight in, found an empty cushion in the last row, and sat down cross-legged.

Yun Zhongzi naturally noticed Xu Chuan, but didn't recognize him at first.

It took her a moment to remember that it was Xu Chuan, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

However, the lecture ended after only fifteen minutes.

As the chief of the Pill Hall, Yun Zhongzi was not required to teach. He would only teach the alchemy apprentices the basics of alchemy when the mood struck him.

The apprentices bowed in thanks and then left in an orderly and slow manner.

"Come with me," Yun Zhongzi transmitted his voice.

Xu Chuan followed Yun Zhongzi to the third floor of the Pill Hall, where he meditated.

"Meet the Chief."

“Fellow Daoist Xu Chuan, it’s been more than ten years since we last met. You’ve actually gotten younger,” Yun Zhongzi said.

"Having mastered this mere minor technique, one can control one's life force and appearance."

Yun Zhongzi was quite surprised to hear this, as he had never seen such a technique before.

Seeing his interest, Xu Chuan immediately demonstrated the process of aging and youth.

After pondering for a moment, Yun Zhongzi sighed and said, "This technique has almost transcended the scope of magic. If it goes any further, it may involve the path of life and death."

You've encountered an incredible opportunity!

He stroked his long beard, a satisfied smile appearing in his eyes.

"If the chief is interested, this junior can guide the senior in his studies."

"No need. This technique is clearly no ordinary spell. If it were in the past, I would certainly have asked to learn it, but now..."

Xu Chuan nodded. "Where is young friend Wei?"

Yun Zhongzi sighed softly, "A riot of colors is enough to dazzle the eye."

"Is young friend Wei befriending members of Foundation Establishment families?"

"Though one may have excellent talent in alchemy, without a passionate dedication to it, one can at most reach my level in a lifetime."

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "To reach the level of chief alchemist is something that countless alchemists in the Great Wei Dynasty dream of."

Yun Zhongzi shook his head and chuckled, "You are quite a peculiar person. You are clearly full of worldly wisdom and shrewdness, yet your alchemy skills have progressed rapidly."

But he was able to stay true to himself.

Knowing what to do and what not to do.

"Thank you for the praise, Chief."

"Speak, instead of focusing on developing your family in Moon Lake County, what brings you here this time?"

"As a servant of the Pill Hall, I naturally have to show my face occasionally and make some contributions."

"You sly fellow!" Yun Zhongzi laughed and scolded, "You clearly want to use your profound alchemy skills to steal some food from the Cao family, don't you?"

Having his thoughts exposed, Xu Chuan remained unfazed and offered another round of flattery, "Chief is wise!"

"However, I have also heard that your Xu family is doing quite well in Yuehu County, and you have only recently become a Qi Refining family, so you should not be lacking in resources."

They really do get smarter with age.

"Actually, actually..." Xu Chuan was a little unsure how to continue the story.

Even if he claims that he is seeking Foundation Establishment stage resources for the future of the Xu family, probably no one will believe him.

"Don't worry, I have no interest in the struggles between powerful families, nor will I interfere. But if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you."

"Actually, my Xu family needs Foundation Establishment resources. Some of our descendants have been fortunate enough to break through to Foundation Establishment, but there are not many Foundation Establishment resources in Yuehu County, and it is difficult to collect them."

After all, there's still the Zhou family, a Foundation Establishment clan.

"Someone from your Xu family has actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage?" Yun Zhongzi asked in surprise. "Doesn't that mean your Xu family will soon be promoted to a Foundation Establishment family?"

"We've only recently advanced, and we don't plan to make a fuss about it yet, since there are really too few cultivators in our clan."

"That does sound like the truth."

"Then you can go and accept the mission yourself. You just need to hand in the required number of pills."

The Dan Hall naturally took this into consideration as well, so the number of offerings was arranged so that there was at most a slight surplus for the vast majority of the offerings.

Even Xu Zhen, the former Second Elder, could only secretly accumulate a dozen or so pills after completing a single alchemy task, and even fewer if they were second-tier pills.

But Xu Chuan's alchemy skills far surpassed theirs.

He came to the Pill Hall seemingly to do a mission, but in reality, he came entirely to buy supplies.

Some people kept more of the pills for themselves than they handed over.

"By the way, since you're here, do me a favor. Wei Dao's alchemy skills have improved, and he seems to be arrogant. Can you help me put him in his place?"

Xu Chuan thought for a moment and nodded, "The chief will arrange it."

After that, Xu Chuan temporarily stayed at the Pill Palace and began his procurement plan.

a few days later.

Yun Zhongzi arranged for Wei Dao and Xu Chuan to have a contest.

Many devotees and apprentices watched, full of confidence in upholding the Way, but their defeat was a great blow to him.

Under Yun Zhongzi's guidance, he then returned to the Pill Hall to study alchemy.

It's hard to say how long it will last.

After completing several missions, Xu Chuan had accumulated a number of second-tier pills such as True Essence Pills and Azure Spirit Pills.

He also secretly refined some Divine Advancement Pills.

The Pill Hall doesn't always have tasks requiring second-tier pills.

When he has nothing to do, Xu Chuan also likes to stroll around the neighborhood.

--------

Xu Chuan left for half a month.

The Ge family from Dongxi sent people again.

However, the one who came this time was the Grand Elder of the Ge family's four branches. Xu Mingyuan guessed after only a few words that the other party had come alone without telling the other three branches of the Ge family.

Therefore, the volume of transactions was not large.

This made Xu Mingyuan hesitate.

at the same time.

Outside the misty cave.

"How could a family of cultivators be entrenched in such a remote place?"

There were five cultivators in the air, one of whom, a middle-aged man, looked surprised.

Another elderly man with gray hair pondered for a moment, then asked, "Could this be the ancestral home of the Xu family in Yuehu County?"

"Xu family?"

"You must have heard of the Xu Family Trading Company."

"That trading company in Yuehu County that occasionally trades high-grade pills and even high-grade magic artifacts? And it's actually located near the county seat?"

The gray-haired old man said, "It seems that the person behind the Ge family is the Xu family of Yuehu County."

"They actually dared to interfere in the disputes of another prefecture; they really have some nerve!"

"His ambitions are also considerable," someone else remarked.

"Haoyong, go back and report this matter to the family head, and have him inform the Feng family that the Xu family is not easy to deal with, and they are a Qi Refining family from another prefecture. The Feng family must handle this."

"We'll first surround and kill Ge Yanzhong, seize the resources he's trading with, and then incidentally probe the Xu family's strength."

"Yes, Second Elder."

Bai Haoyong immediately strode off on his sword into the distance.

The remaining four members of the Bai family did not rush in rashly, but instead planned to lie in ambush outside.

The Xu family hall.

"The Ge family is also a long-time client of my Xu family. Although Fellow Daoist Ge kept this deal a secret from the other families, we have accepted it."

The clan happens to have some in stock; please wait here while I go fetch it.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Mingyuan saw through it." The eldest elder of the Ge family's four branches was slightly embarrassed.

Xu Mingyuan brought out the pills to trade with him, and said, "Fellow Daoist Ge, this is a one-time thing. Frequent exchanges will also bring danger to my Xu family."

"I understand, I'll take my leave now," said the eldest elder of the Ge family's four branches, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"Walk slowly."

The eldest elder of the Ge family's four branches, led by his guards, emerged from the fog formation. He had barely flown a mile on his sword when several flying swords suddenly attacked him.

He immediately released a mid-grade shield, which swirled around him.

They barely managed to stop the sudden attack.

If the attacker had been any closer, he probably wouldn't have had time to react.

"who?!"

With a loud shout, the four members of the Bai family rode in on their swords and surrounded the four elders of the Ge family.

The patrol guards naturally noticed this and immediately sent a signal.

A red, eerie lotus flower shimmered above the cave stream.

Countless people witnessed this scene.

"Enemy attack?!"

Residents of Dongxi who were away from home, whether old farmers or young people, all hurried home.

This was something the Xu family had agreed upon with them long ago.

If a red lotus signal is seen, ordinary people should quickly return home and not go out.

(End of this chapter)